Life seems a bit unreal at the moment.
For three weeks, I travelled around the UK visiting donors and supporters and speaking in more than twenty schools. On each occasion I shared the message about our “Be The Spark” campaign saying that everyone needs to do what they can to help in order to make things better. One of the key messages was that there are more similarities between Kenya and the UK than people think – and that here in Nairobi we have large shopping malls with international brands represented.
I shared stories about M-Pesa – Kenya’s mobile money system – and how Kenya leads the way in terms of mobile technology. I spoke about my friend Ivory’s “#BeTheSparkWith100” campaign to raise school fees for two boys from Mbeere Children’s Home using M-Pesa.
After talking until I could almost talk no more, I packed up my bags ready to head back to Kenya on Saturday. Then I saw a post on Facebook that shook me….a post about “armed thugs” in Westgate Mall.
I spent the day following the story….in fact I owe an apology to my friend I spent my last hours in Glasgow with as I was so distracted checking Twitter and Facebook continually. I got on the plane in Amsterdam and heard people saying “there’s been a terror attack”. As soon as I got home to Nairobi on Sunday I switched on the TV and have been watching it at every available opportunity since then.
In the office on Monday everyone was distracted – no-one could quite believe the events of the weekend. One of our team members hasn’t been with us this week – as a trained trauma counsellor she has been volunteering to support victims and their families since Saturday evening.
Just like the “Be The Spark” campaign I spent three weeks talking about, thousands of people are doing what they can to help. From civilians providing food and drinks to the various police, security agents and journalists working at Westgate and its environs to those lining up throughout the country to donate blood, with companies providing refreshments to blood donors and volunteers. Today four of us from the Vision Africa office tried to donate blood at a hospital in Nairobi but they had run out of blood bags….as had many other hospitals we phoned. Over 6,000 units of blood have been donated so far – we resolved to go back on another day and make our contribution.
That mobile money system I raved about in the UK, M-Pesa, was quickly put in to action and latest reports say that over 60,000,000Ksh (£460,000) has been raised so far. This is an unprecedented amount to be fundraised in such a short time in Kenya and will be used by the Red Cross to support victims.
Media houses and people on Twitter are using the hashtag #WeAreOne to show the unity that this tragic incident has evoked.
The television station I am watching as I write this started and ended the news bulletin with the National Anthem…at the request of the viewers.
Kenya is a very proud nation and rather than being scared to be here, I feel honoured and inspired. I hope that the children at our projects are also inspired by the great role models they are seeing and help to make their own futures brighter…with a helping hand from Vision Africa.
